Conservation of White-tailed Eagle in Slovakia - DANUBEPARKS

Conservation of White-tailed tailed Eagle
in Slovakia
„Protection of White-Tailed
Tailed-Eagle in the Danube-valley
valley”
conference, Szekszárd, 18th-19th 19th of October 2011

Conservation of White-tailed tailed Eagle
in Slovakia
• Distribution
• Population size & seasonal occurence
• Habitats preferences
• Conservation status and main threats
• Research and conservation actions

Distribution of the WTE population

Distribution of the WTE population

Distribution of the WTE population

Distribution of the WTE population

Distribution of the WTE population

Population size
• 1964 – last breeding
• 90.-ties – increase
• 1997 – breeding again
• 40-80 wintering ind.
Year Nr. of pairs Nr. of juveniles
1997 1 2
1998 2
1999 3
2000 3
2001 3 (1) 1
2002 3 (3) 2 + 3 +1
2003 3
2004 4 7 together
2005 4 (3) 0 (†) +1 + 2 +2
2006 4 (3) 2 + 2 + 1
2007 3 (1) 2
2008 3 (2) 4 together
2009 4 (4) 2 + 3 + 2 + 3
2010 4 (3) 3 + 2 + 2
2011 4 (4) 3 +2 +2 +2

Habitat preferences
• forest habitats
• along large rivers, water bodies
• high-trunk natural forests – poplar + willow
• forest edges, sparse forest stands

↕23-26 m
Tree species used for building of nests
Locality
Tree species
Podunajské Biskupice Populus nigra (1)
Čunovo Populus euroamericana (1)
Vojka nad Dunajom Populus nigra (1)
Gabčíkovo Populus euroamericana (3)
Baka P. nigra (1), P. euroamericana (1)
Kľúčovec Populus euroamericana (1)
Trávnik Populus alba / P. canescens (1)

2
1
3

Conservation status and history
• Nr. 543/2002 – The nature and landscape protection act
• Nr. 24/2002 – The announcement of the Ministry of Environment
categorizing WTE as a species of European importance
• Nr. 15/ 2005 Law on protection of wild animals and wild plants, by
regulating trade therein (CITES)
• critically endangered in SK (2001) • 4 315,20 €
• Ramsar site (1993)
• Protected Landscape Area (1998)
• Site of Community Importance
• Important Bird Area
• Special Protection Area (2008)

• in the past WTE as pestilential bird
→ shooting possible the whole year
• systematic protection since 50.-ties
• NNR Island of the White-tailed Eagle (1953)

Main threats
• constant reducing of suitable nesting
and feeding habitats:
- inappropriate forestry management
- deterioration of water regime
• disturbance during breeding season
(non regulated sport and tourism activities,...)
• illegal shooting
• poisoning (carbofuran,...)

Winter counting along
the Danube
• yearly since 2002 (up to 100 people)
• end of January
• between Devín (rk 1882) and Štúrovo/Estergom (rk 1715)
• co-operation of the Comenius University, State Nature
Conservancy, BROZ, Raptor Protection of Slovakia, SOS/BirdLife
Slovakia + many other volunteers, observers from Hungary
• 2 methods:
a) low-density river sections (rk 1776–1715), eagle densities
estimated from line transects
b) high-density sections (rk 1882–1776), censuses conducted
from adjacent stationary counting points

Evaluation of data from winter counting
For each observed specimen or group of WTEs:
• number of registration
• start and end time of each observation (to the minute)
• age (adult, juvenile/subadult, unspecified age)
• additional information (e.g. group size, behaviour)
• location and flight direction with assigned number recorded on a map
• data plotted on a central map
• since 2004 mapped in GIS
• the number of wintering White-tailed Eagles estimated after comparing
the results from all points and transects with respect to registration
time, age and flight direction of the observed birds in order to eliminate
double counts

Distribution of wintering population
in the whole Slovakia

Promotion of WTE during winter counting

Research activities
• constant monitoring of the
nesting population since 2004
• ringing
• collecting of samples
(parasites, blood, feathers)
• food analysis
• articles published

Research activities
• constant monitoring of the
nesting population since 2004
• ringing
• collecting of samples
(parasites, blood, feathers)
• food analysis
• articles published
Photo: Chavko
Photo: Dúbravský

Research activities
• constant monitoring of the
nesting population since 2004
• ringing
• collecting of samples
(parasites, blood, feathers)
• food analysis
• articles published
Chavko J. & Š. Danko. Orliak morský (Haliaeetus ablicilla). Správa za rok 2007. Dravce a sovy (4): 7.
Chavko J. 2002. Orliak morský (Haliaeetus ablicilla) In: Danko Š., A. Darolová, A. Krištín (eds.) Rozšírenie
vtákov na Slovensku 172-174. Vydavateľstvo veda, Bratislava.
Bohuš M., J. Lengyel & P. Rác. The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Slovakia. Der Seeadler im
Herzen Europas - Tagungsband der WWF Österreich Seeadler Konferenz von 17.-18. November 2007 in
Illmitz - Denisia 27: 172 pp.
Bohuš M. (1996): Orliak morský (Haliaeetus albicilla) v Podunajsku – súčasný stav a perspektívy. Buteo 8:
103–108.
Photo: Chavko
Bohuš M., Lengyel J. & M. Váczi (2002): Správa o prvom sčítaní zimujúcich orliakov morských
(Haliaeetus albicilla /L./) v úseku Dunaja Devín – Štúrovo/Esztergom. Chránené územia Slovenska 53: 14.
Bohuš M., Lengyel J. & M. Váczi (2003): Druhé sčítanie orliakov morských v úseku Dunaja: Devín –
Štúrovo/Ostrihom. Chránené územia Slovenska 58: 25–26.
Bohuš M., Lengyel J. & M. Váczi (2005): Správa o treťom a štvrtom sčítaní zimujúcich orliakov morských
v úseku Dunaja Devín – Štúrovo/Esztergom. Chránené územia Slovenska 66: 24.
Bohuš M., Lengyel J. & M. Váczi (2007): Sčítanie zimujúcich orliakov morských na Dunaji – prvých 5
ročníkov uzavretých. Dravce a sovy 3(1): 22–23.
Bohuš M., P. Rác, Lengyel J. & M. Váczi (2009): Správa zo siedmeho sčítania zimujúcich rliakov
morských na Dunaji. Dravce a sovy (5): 22.
Photo: Dúbravský

Many thanks for the data, information, photos and comments to:
And especially to:
M. Kúdela, M. Bohuš, V. Prachár, J. Lengyel, P. Rác, S. Harvančík,
D.Kepko, M.Behúl, J. Chavko, M.Váczi, A. Dúbravský, L. Deutschová